Controlling the Controller
by Cory Tyson
Remember the days of having just an X/Y joystick or modulation and pitch bend wheels for sound control? Now leap forward a few years and take a look at some of the current controllers... quite a difference in the amount of control capabilities right? Here, we’ll take a look at some possibilities and techniques for getting the best out of your controller.
The controlling factor
Controllers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and forms. The most common form would be that of a standard keyboard; however, pad controllers (like the Korg – padKONTROL and fader controllers have been gaining in popularity. Nowadays, most keyboards can function as a controller in some manner. Most have some switches, knobs and sliders that can be assigned MIDI controller data. Some keyboards, such as the Korg TRITON Extreme, even have built-in MIDI interfaces. On the flipside, dedicated MIDI controllers are now showing up with internal sounds of their own; models such as the Korg K61P have some form of sound set built in. Regardless of what type of controller you own, the same basic processes are involved when setting it up to control your software or hardware.
So you have a controller, what do you control? Well it depends on you, your style of music, and your style of playing. Most commonly, one may want to have hands-on access to volume, envelope generators and filters. The controller device could ultimately control any parameter that could be assigned a MIDI control number. Most manufacturers would typically list available controls and control numbers in a MIDI Implementation chart in the owner’s manual or in a separate booklet. If not, they should be available by demand from the manufacturer – try checking their website for support documents.
How they get assigned to your controller will depend on the controller itself and the software or hardware you wish to control. In addition most controller manufacturers bundle preset templates for popular software. This makes it easier for you, the end user, to not have to start building a controller setup from scratch. In most cases these templates work great. Of course there are great controllers like the Korg KONTROL49 and microKONTROL that have Native Mode, where the host application takes full control of the controller and maps it automatically. Software like Apple’s Logic, and Propellerheads Reason takes full advantage of Native Mode, virtually eliminating setup and configuration of the controllers.
Easy learning
Some software DAWs have the ability to "learn" the MIDI CC (control change) number assigned to the controller’s knob or slider. For example, if you wish to assign the filter frequency of one of Reason’s instruments, you can click on the learn function, click on the filter frequency parameter and turn the desired knob on your controller. Reason will automatically learn the control number assigned to that knob and that knob would now control the filter frequency of the given plug-in. Although this method may be easiest, the downside is that it is only saved as part of that song, or project. You would have to repeat the process for every song or project you have, or create in the future. You may, however, be able to save the setup in the DAW as a template for future use. In addition, if you work within multiple DAWs or systems, you would have to repeat the learning process.
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Map that!
If your DAW does not have a learning function or you don’t want to go that route, you can manually assign/map the desired control numbers to either the controller or the software/hardware. Mapping the software to the controller would have the same disadvantages that software learning has. However, it may be easier to map the software than the controller in some cases. For example, the control numbers may be "hardwired" to certain knobs or sliders on the keyboard-workstation you wish to use as a controller. In this case, you would have to map the software to use the keyboard’s control numbers.
That said, in most cases the best course would be to map the controller to the software/hardware you wish to use. Using this method may be a bit more tedious, but will give more flexibility and ultimately more control in the long run. I find it easier to predetermine what elements within the software you wish to control and consult the MIDI Implementation chart, highlighting the appropriate control numbers. This way, once in the edit/assign mode on the controller, you’re able to go through them all at once.
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Some controllers, like the Korg K Series, come with Editor/Librarian software that allows you to easily assign controls via the computer, instead of using the controller’s interface.
Mapping the CC numbers to the controller also allows you to take advantage of controllers that have multiple setups or "scenes." For example, the Korg Kontrol49 allows the user to set up 16 different scenes that can be used for different pieces of software (or different elements within one piece of software). For instance, you can have Scene 1 set up to control a software instrument within Sonar, while Scene 2 is set up to control the transport and mixer.
Put who where?
So what do you assign to pads and what to sliders? Well that ultimately depends on you! Of course you would trigger drum sounds from pads; however, you can do much more with pads than just drums… How about using them to mute oscillators on a synth, or to start and stop your DAW? What about using the pads on a pad controller, like the Korg padKONTROL, to turn on and off effects or track mutes/solos? Don’t have pads, you say? You can use the keys on your favorite controller to basically do the same thing... There is no reason why you cannot assign transport controls to a few keys on your keyboard or use them to turn on and off an LFO...
Sliders tend to give a smoother ride than knobs due to the limitations of your wrist. Use sliders for parameters where you want to "ride" levels slowly and smoothly, like on a mixer. Knobs work well for quick movements from one value to another. Using knobs for EQ and filter sweeps are very common. Many controllers also have an X/Y joystick. Why not use this joystick to do some surround mixing, using it to place that particular track right in the exact spot in the sound field? You can use that joystick creatively and assign two different filters to X and Y; playing with joystick now breathes new creative life into your performance.
On the whole, mapping parameters for use with a controller is rather straightforward. With the aid of editing software and simplified controller menus, the most difficult part may be deciding what parameters you want at your fingertips!
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